Heard Heinsohn tell Scal a few games ago that it's hard to play with such a deep bench because in reality you're only going to use 8 of them in heavy rotation but if he did have one like the C's do that he would be running all the time to wear down the opposition.

That said, why wouldn't that make sense with this team too?

Start the vets and then have your bench come in and run the snot out of the opposition. Easy buckets in transition might bring more confidence to Green, Lee, and Wilcox because they wouldn't be standing around trying to figure out plays, and pressuring the ball handler at full court and/or trapping at half court might make their defense better too. The uptempo energy would also serve to fire-up the vets while they get much needed rest.

After all, what is a deep bench good for if they don't know the plays and/or aren't good on defense? Danny did his job and now it's Doc's turn to do his.

Bradley really could be the difference here....with he and Rondo applying pressure the way they did last year our defense should be much better....I agree with Heinsohn though....the youngsters (Rondo, Bradley, Green, amd Lee) should be running and slashing...once Sully gets his feet wet and learns the ropes he will be an effective inside presence...he has a knack for getting rebounds (4 last night in 7 minutes) and he can score...give this team time...

For years, we have been told that if only R9R had players he could run with, the Cs would just run the opposition into the ground.

Well we now have those players.

Why is Rondo still walking the ball up the court while doc screams.... "Push it, push it, push it!"?

Pud

Well I guess I have missed all the times he had people ahead of hiim and he didn't push it. Granted I think he could push even more, the rest of the team doesn't run all the time. You can't just pick and choose and be a running team. You have to do it all the time. I also haven't seen Doc screaming at Rondo to push it, push it.

Heinsohn has seen more NBA games over the last 50 years than anyone on this board. He's seen the game transition from a team-oriented one to an individualized, blacktop version that now exists. He's not applying 1960 strategies to 2012, but he can't help hoping that the glimmer of 2008 will return when the Celtics stars each let their stats lower in favor of a mission statement that had a ring as the goal. Heinsohn isn't blind and he's not dotty, yet, and his thoughts certainly have validity - with interchangable players at a few positions, why not expend the talent and run? Seems very logical, and if the team in Los Angeles brings back Jackson, what do you think the main idea will be there - get the rebounds and get up the floor so that the rapist can get clearer shots on the wing before the defense can set up. Not a bad way to go for the Celtics, if they can rebound.

Running the opposition into the floor still requires domination of the defensive glass or much more pressure to cause turnovers. Both were done on a much more regular basis by the Celtics in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the Celtics have done very little of either so far this season.

Of course, they would be a better team if they could improve on both of these parts of the game, but they have been a pretty weak rebounding team now for the last few years (lack of coaching emphasis?) and only seem to really pressure the ball when Bradley plays.